Trainer Patrick Shaw’s stellar second half of season 2014 continued on Sunday with the consistent Johnny Guitar proving too classy for his rivals in the final Group race for the year, the $125,000 Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes over 1700m.

Sent out as the clear favourite at $11, the son of Lode settled just off the pace on the rails with pilot Fujin Bright (Mohd Zaki) always within his sights. While he was always travelling well, there were some nervous moments for favourite backers, with Johnny Guitar boxed in on the fence as the field worked their way towards the home turn.

Rider John Powell never panicked though, and when Cool Customer (Zuriman Zulkifli) began to weaken early in the straight, the Australian jockey was able to take his mount through the gap on the fence, with Johnny Guitar soon sprinting away from his competitors over the final 200 metres.

Of the placegetters, the Steven Burridge-trained Boomarang Deluxe (Craig Newitt) acquitted himself well in his first run at Group level to run a great race and finish second, while the Hideyuki Takaoka-trained mare Gold Rutile (Alan Munro) produced another honest performance to finish third.

In the end, though, it was a comfortable 2 ¾-length victory for Johnny Guitar, winning the day’s feature event in 1min 45.64secs.

Johnny Guitar’s success in the Colonial Chief Stakes was his second feature race victory in 2014, after he saluted in the Polytrack Mile Championship in March. For trainer Pat Shaw, the win capped off a memorable season for his stable, a year in which he provided the forecast in the Longines Singapore Gold Cup with Quechua and Emperor’s Banquet, and also won the Committee’s Prize with Magneto.

Interestingly, all of Shaw’s feature race winners this year were imported from South America.

“He’s a real soldier,” said assistant-trainer Ricardo Le Grange in describing the win of Johnny Guitar.

“He does better on the Polytrack for obvious reasons, and it’s great. We’ve had a fantastic year and to finish off with a win like this is just great.”

Le Grange was also full of praise for the handling of the horse by Powell in the race.

“I was saying to myself, “if he gets a run, he wins.” I think he (Powell) rode a fantastic race, he never went around a horse.”

Sunday’s Group 3 success was Powell’s second feature race triumph for the season, after he won the JBBA Moonbeam Vase earlier in the year aboard Cash Luck, and it was also the second time he has ridden Johnny Guitar to victory.

“His performance in the Kranji Mile was very good, so coming here to this type of race I thought he’d be right in it,” said the Australian hoop.

“Ricky (Ricardo Le Grange) and Pat (Shaw) were talking about having him forward in the race, and the way the maps worked out, I was going to box-seat behind the leader.

“It was just a matter of waiting for the run and when he got the run he sprinted through well. I think he’s a really good miler, I think when they’ve tried to stretch him a bit further he struggles a bit.

“He’s done a really good job and thanks to Pat and all the crew.”

Powell then went on to ride a treble for the meeting when he won on Felarof in Race 11, having already saluted on Guiltless in the opening race of the card.

Johnny Guitar’s victory in the Colonial Chief Stakes took his career earnings to over $800,000, having started his career in Argentina and now racing in Singapore for his current owner, Fred Crabbia.

The final meeting of the 2014 season also sealed a ninth champion trainer title for trainer Laurie Laxon, even if he came home empty-handed on Sunday.

The New Zealander went into the meeting with a safety cushion of three wins courtesy of his treble on Friday versus a double from his challenger Alwin Tan. Even if the latter managed to saddle a winner in the very last race courtesy of Dragon Spirit (Lisa Allpress), it proved too little too late as Laxon was already home to finish with a total of 80 winners versus Tan's 78 winners.